Monday, 14 December 2009

Bourjois Mineral Matte Foundation

I tried out the Bourjois Mineral Matte Foundation in #81 Tendre Ivoire today and I have to say, I'm impressed! My skintype is oily, acne prone with enlarged pores on my cheeks and forehead so for me, a non-greasy foundation that doesn't sink into my pores is what I'm always hunting for. All the shades look quite dark and yellow at the counter so I picked #81 Tendre Ivoire, which is the lightest shade, as I usually am the lightest or second lightest shade for foundations. Fortunately, the shade was an exact match for my skintone and melded in seamlessly. Unfortunately, like most foundations by Bourjois, the shade range is extremely limited with only 4 shades available (see them on the UK Bourjois website) with a lack of options for very fair or dark skintones. This is a real pity as this is one of the best drugstore foundations I've ever used. I have tried other mousse foundations before but found them to be cakey with very poor oil control. Usually after an hour or two, my face will be shiny like a discoball. The Mineral Matte Foundation lives up to its name and more. It is a creamy mousse in the pot but once applied, it transforms into an incredibly smooth powder finish so there is absolutely no greasy feel. Yet at the same time, the finish is creamy and natural. For someone who is very self conscious about her skin flaws, this is truly a godsend as it helped to even out my skintone by covering up the redness in my cheeks and dark eye circles as well as reducing the appearance of my pores.

With the dense baby kabuki brush (sold separately in Singapore), application is a breeze and achieving a seamless, flawless finish is virtually idiot proof. And the oil control was actually pretty decent! With my Benefit Hello Flawless! or RMK powder foundations, I usually have to start blotting about 1 hour after application, but with the Mineral Matte Foundation, my T-zone started to get a bit shiny only after about 2 hours. The foundation lasted well over 12 hours of wear. I simply had to blot my T-zone and cheeks every couple of hours (which is normal for me) and it looked as good as new.

As you can see from the ingredient list, it contains silicones which helps to account for the incredibly silky finish. According to the UK Bourjois website, it also has no added preservatives. And indeed, the ingredient list looks free of parabens. The foundation costs S$38 but there are often 10% to 20% discounts on Bourjois at John Little, BHG and Watsons. It is definitely well worth the price as the finish is much better than what I have experienced with other department store brands that cost twice as much. The only downside is having to wash the brush frequently as I don't like dipping a brush caked with old foundation into the pot. Big thanks to The Muse for the excellent recommendation!

I was wondering if you'd still recommend this particular foundation for someone with acne-prone, normal skin with minimally-sized pores? I am between an NC 15-20 in M.A.C.'s Studio Fix Fluid and a ZA 20 with strong yellow undertones, so I was wondering if you'd suggest the lightest shade (#81) for me?

Hi,The foundation doesn't seem to irritate my skin which is also acne-prone. If you have normal skin with very small pores, I think this foundation would look great on you. Based on your shades in other brands, #81 would likely be the most suitable for you as the other 3 shades are likely to be too dark.

I recently purchased the Mineral Matte Foundation and found it great as well!

However I've found that removing it is rather tough as the product tends to be rather stubborn to remove. Also it doesn't come off easily when I try to wash the Bourjois baby kabuki brush. Can I ask what cleanser do you use to wash your brush?

Hi Kim,I use MAC brush cleanser. What I usually do is wet the brush, and then pour a bit of the MAC brush cleanser directly onto the bristles, then rub the bristles in my palm until the product comes off, then rinse. If there's still product left on the brush, I just repeat the same steps. Repeating once is usually enough to clean the brush thoroughly.